Nowruz, also known as the Iranian New Year or the Persian New Year, is a holiday     1     (wide) celebrated in Asian countries like Iran. The holiday is believed to have been celebrated since 555 BC. But it was not until 2010 that the United Nations General Assembly officially     2     (recognize) it as a holiday.

Being     3     holiday marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature, Nowruz usually falls around March 20th on the Gregorian calendar. As with most     4     (holiday), it comes with its own set of traditions. They include the “Haft Sin” table,     5     is made up of seven symbolic items starting with the Farsi letter “S”, all representing a     6     (vary) of hopes for the new year, including health, wealth and prosperity. People also welcome the new year     7     sparkling (闪亮的) homes and new clothes. They visit friends and neighbors and share meals and host parties. Communities come together     8     (celebrate) the beginning of spring and do so in hopes they will be surrounded by healthy and clean surroundings in the new year.

Nowruz plays a significant role in     9     (strengthen) the ties among peoples. Its traditions reflect the ancient and     10     (culture) customs of the civilizations of the East and West, and they’ve influenced those civilizations through the interchange of human values for thousands of years.

As the legends goes, weiqi, which originated before the Spring and Autumn Period(770BC- 476BC) has a history of more than 4,000 years. The original chessboard consisted     1     only 17 horizontal and vertical lines,     2     (form) 289 points. During the Jin Dynasty(265AD-420AD), it developed into 19 lines forming 361 points,     3    is still the standard nowadays.

Weiqi reached     4     (it) peak during the reign (统治) of Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Numerous national champions and masters emerged     5     left behind many good chess manuals. Weiqi was taken to Japan about 1,000 years ago, where it was cultivated at court and in certain Buddhist sects (宗派). In the 1950s, a professional weiqi system was established in Korea, when weiqi master ChoNam-chul returned from professional     6     (train) in Japan. Today weiqi is even     7     (popular) in Korea than anywhere else in the world. It     8     (estimate) that five to ten percent of the population regularly play weiqi.

Victory in weiqi depends on the size of the encircled (围住) area and the number of pieces     9    (take). The winner is the one who has the largest enclosure and takes the most number of pieces. At the beginning of the game, there is a large area on the chessboard, so it is easy     10     (encircle) and occupy the important positions. As the area is reduced, the player has to carefully assess which positions will decide the outcome.

Primary and middle schools, as well as universities across China, have introduced herb-planting courses on their campuses as part of a campaign     1     (promote) traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). An herb farm has just been opened at Chaotiangong Minzu Primary School in Nanjing, Jiangsu. More than 30 species have been planted on campus, including Chinese ground orchid and rosemary. Students are guided     2     pharmacists (药剂师) from a     3     (province) TCM hospital. Students learn to recognize different herbs, learn about their medicinal value and plant sprouts (苗) in the garden. The hospital donated over 100 cartoon books     4     (relate) to TCM to help the children develop a stronger interest in herbal medicine.

Also in Shanghai, Tongji University has created     5     opportunity for overseas students to plant various species’ of herbs including Chinese angelica, wolfberry, fish mint and dangshen,     6     are all widely used. in Chinese cuisine. By taking care of the plants     7     (regular), overseas students can gain first-hand experience of making herbal medicine from start to finish, and spread TCM culture to their own countries.

March 17     8     (mark) Chinese Medicine Day, in commemoration (纪念) of this time-honored way of caring for people’s health. Introducing herb-planting courses at schools not only brings students up close and personal with Chinese herbs but also helps pass on these ancient treatment     9     (tradition) to younger generations while     10     (spread) TCM around the world

The English word “garden” gives an entirely wrong idea of the Chinese yuan, for “garden” suggests a lawn and an infinite       1       (vary) of flowers, altogether too prim (呆板的) and tidy to suit Chinese taste. The Chinese yuan suggests first of all a wild landscape, perhaps better arranged and more artistically       2     (plan) than nature, but still a bit of nature itself, with trees, creeks, and flowers. Dotted in this natural landscape are the human structures like pavilions and long winding corridors, so       3       (perfect) belonging to the scenery as to become a whole with it. The Chinese garden       4       (characterize) by studied disorderliness. There are no even-cut bushes or symmetric (对称的) rows lining avenues as if in battle formation.

No Chinese mansion allows an outsider       5       (look) through theiron gates at along drive, for that would be against the principle of concealment.       6       (face) the   gate, we see a small courtyard giving no idea of the expansiveness of space inside, and leading one step by step into newer views, in       7       continual series of surprises and astonishments. With wooden framework       8       (bear) most of the weight of the house, windows, doors and walls are not restricted to certain locations. The essential idea of interior (室内的) decoration is the beauty of simplicity. Home designs are not something fancy we buy from a first-class firm. What distinguishes a home       9       a public building is the personal touch that we give it. It is only when the spirit of leisure and loving care exists       10       living at home can become an art and a pleasure.

Adaptation from My Country and My People by LinYutang

The curtain had fallen on the show, but Zhou Jiamu, a high school student, remained immersed in the storyline. Throughout the whole process, in     1     she followed the performers in shuttling between different rooms in an old building, Zhou felt as if she were part of the story. The immersive drama “Mists in Jiangzhou” was performed in a historic building. The building     2    (pack) with people during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday this year, with tickets for this show often sold out days in advance. “It’s     3     unique experience that allows one to watch the facial expressions and body movements of actors     4     a very close distance, and sometimes, to even talk to the actors,” said Zhou. “If it were not for this drama performance, there would be     5    (bare) anyone visiting this more than 8-decade-old building,” said Liu Mingxi, producer of the drama.

Also in Chongqing, a former banknote printing factory has now become an innovation center for artists and young entrepreneurs (企业家). The old factory site, once     6    (abandon), has gone viral on social media platforms. “I would like to spend hours here     7    (explore) these shops, as there are diverse business entities (实体) such as coffee shops and cultural creative products,” said Sun Liting, a tourist from Gansu Province.

Chongqing     8    (step) up efforts concerning the     9    (investigate) and protection of its cultural relics over the past decade and about 26,000 immovable cultural relics have been registered. Chongqing will continue to explore the value of cultural relics, promote scientific development of cultural relics protection,     10     strengthen the integration of technology in the use of cultural relics.

On an early autumn morning, Shi Hui, a photographer from Chongqing, arrived at an exhibition area     1     (locate) in a former diesel engine(柴油机) factory in Pingyao Shanxi Province.

As a teacher at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Shi has been to the ancient city on 10 occasions     2     (participate) in the Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP).

The 22nd PIP Festival kicked     3     on September 19 in the UNESCO world     4     (culture)heritage site known for its well preserved ancient architecture. Under the theme of “A world of light and shadow, for a bright shared future”, this year’s week-long festival attracted some 12, 000     5     (entry) from 1, 200 photographers from 28 countries and regions.

Launched in 2001, the annual festival has featured photographers from more than 100 countries and regions and     6     (consider) an important platform for cross- cultural communication.

With     7     help of modern light and shadow technology, Pingyao has     8     (rapid)built up a reputation and influence at home and abroad.

    9     the festival goes global, it has injected(注入) fresh energy into Pingyao’s development and led to a great change. Pingyao’s openness has led to a new life.

With     10     (improve) in the general condition, its residents now live more conveniently.

As the temperature continues to drop, the golden autumn seems to be coming to an end, indicating the     1    (arrive) of the Cold Dew period. Cold Dew, known as “Hanlu” in Chinese,    2     (fall) on October 8 and ends on October 23 this year.

During Cold Dew, temperatures drop     3    (significant) and the sun cannot reach the deep waters thoroughly. Therefore, fish swim in shallow waters,     4    the water temperature is relatively high, making Cold Dew the best season to cast a net or throw a line.

Chrysanthemums (菊花) are the symbolic flower of Cold Dew.     5    (prevent) autumn dryness, many regions in China have the custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. In ancient times, drinking wine made with chrysanthemums    6    (think) to allow people long-lasting youth.

Other traditions to mark the season include hiking and climbing. With maple (枫树) leaves     7     (turn) red, the splendour of color welcomes nature lovers. On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, which often is around Cold Dew, people often climb hills with cornels (茱萸),    8     kind of plant. This custom, dating    9    the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), aims to drive bad things away.

Cold Dew allows us to say goodbye to golden autumn with delicate design, and also gives us a chance to know     10     (much) about the culture behind the solar terms.

Around 160 experts attended the International Forum on Cave Temple Conservation in Chongqing     1     August 19 to 21 to explore opportunities for cooperation and methods to protect rock carvings in cave temples around the world.

The carvings run the risk of damage over time as a result of weathering and climate change. Li Qun, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration,     2    (say) in the opening ceremony that Chinese cave temples displayed remarkable characteristics in terms of their subject matter, and artistic style, which reflected the     3    (peace) nature of Chinese civilization.

The Chongqing forum was held to improve the preservation of cave temples and uncover their value and historical significance,     4    (contribute) to the preservation of humanity’s intellectual achievements.

Experts agreed     5    (promote) the protection of cave temples in light of global climate change, develop new materials, build early warning systems, and create a global database of historical images,     6     they hope would help future generations appreciate their beauty.

“Water and wind are the primary factors causing damage to the cave temples and stone carvings     7    (global),” said an expert, adding that climate change had led to the increasing uncertainty     8    (cause) by natural threats. He called for in-depth     9    (study) on core factors such as water-related damage and the geological environment. Moreover, efforts should be directed toward strengthening archaeological investigations     10     exploring the values of these sites, as well as managing tourism.